Donald J. Mack
July 10, 1924 - March 17, 1992
Don Mack was born in Lonsdale, MN, and was raised on a dairy farm in the
1920s and 1930s. He grew up spending time with his three uncles who were
the forth generation of blacksmiths in the family. They repaired wagons and
farm implements, and eventually added a car dealership to the family business.
Don acquired a strong interest from his uncles in metal working, casting and
forging, which later would extend to his interest in coinage generation, with the
stamping die work, various anomalies, errors and markings.
He entered the service during World War II and met his future bride Mary at a USO dance while in Signal Corps training at Ft
Monmouth, NJ. He ended up being stationed with the U.S. Army Air Corps based out of National Airport in Washington, DC,
where he helped support the Berlin Airlift, and later worked in data entry for the payroll department.
After Don’s release from the service in 1948, he and Mary were married and set out on life together. Life in the 1950s brought
them to the Virginia suburbs, where they bought a house and became active in the community. Through a service position,
one task he spent a great deal of time on was sorting and counting large amounts of change. It was there that his interest in
coin collecting started, after observing the wide range of design types and mint marks. Soon he was going to the bank to buy
bags of pennies, nickels, dimes and more, hunting through them for his own collection. He purchased his first set of Whitman
albums and was off on his life’s numismatic adventure. Interest in newly-available proof and mint sets appealed to him, and he
took advantage of ordering multiple sets as the household budget would permit. His new hobby kept his spare time filled with
intrigue and fun, while he and Mary started a family together, with their first son arriving in the late 50s.
In 1961, with his career advancing, Don Mack took a two-year assignment with the U.S. State Department as head of payroll,
overseas operations, based out of Paris, France. He and his family traveled to Le Havre out of New York, aboard the S.S. America.
Their travels all over Europe on long weekends and vacations opened up a whole new world of coinage to him and expanded his
collection interests. He also gained an appreciation for the wide number of peace and victory medals struck after the war that
were readily available for trade. Two years flew by, and the family returned stateside aboard the S.S. United States in 1964.
Upon returning to life back home in Virginia, Don became a regular at coin club meetings in Arlington and Falls Church. It
was at these meetings that he came to know a local dealer by the name of Charlie Ragsdale. Charlie soon became not only a
dealer acquaintance, but a good friend, mentor, and tutor to Don in the subjects of grading, rare coins and gold. His collection
expanded to include rare and higher-quality coins. Two more children came along, a twin boy and girl, keeping his plate full
between family life, work and his hobby, but coins were his quiet time refuge during winter months and late nights while
unwinding from busy days.
During the late 60s, 70s, and through the 80s, Don continued to acquire proof sets, including the three-year period when only
mint sets were produced, and later the new technology proof sets. He also set out a goal of having rolls of each year and type
of coin for pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, halves and dollars. It was an ambitious goal that was never fully achieved, but
he nevertheless kept at it, always enjoying the thrill of the hunt, finding the ever-illusive sleeper in some unsuspecting roll of
wheaties or Indian head nickels.
Don left us in 1992, leaving his collection as a lasting legacy of his life’s work, and it is at this time that his family has elected to
share his accumulation with you to enjoy and appreciate. Best of luck as you build your collection, and please pass the hobby
on to a younger generation in your life.
